MBP AppleCare SUSPENDED Due To Scratch!

[brentsg]

Your MBP doesn't look very nice, but I can't see how that would stop the fan on the opposite side from functioning. Thats pretty annoying dude, sorry for your troubles. I'd be very angry if I paid a lot of money for AppleCare for them to terminate it for a cosmetic issue. Maybe the guy was having a bad day.

I can see:

"We can't properly fix this without replacing the case because you have damaged it."

or

"You have dropped this a couple of times, at least... and that might have broken the fan."

or

"It's been dropped enough times that we expect to need to fix more than just the fan when we get in there."

But IMO they need to come out and say these things if they are going to deny you.

 

[sn00pie]

Looks like you dropped it, if that is the case, they will not and should not be covering it

 

[Teej guy]

Looks like you dropped it, if that is the case, they will not and should not be covering it

I've never dropped my MBP and it looks utterly destroyed next to his. Just sayin'.

 

[Tastannin]

Whoo. Sorry to hear you're experiencing this with AppleCare. Is there another Apple Store or other Apple dealer in your area? If so, go there and get it checked out again.

Like others have said, be patient, be polite but firm, and explain your situation nicely. Yell after you hang up.

good luck!

 

[cathyy]

You want a fan fixed as a mfg defect after 1.5 years? LOL!

So you acknowledge that Apple products aren't built to last for even 1.5 years?

 

[misterpasta]

DVI Port Dented. UP

DVI Port is dented Up. This does not happen by pulling a DVI Cable out daily.
This computer has been dropped. Damaged caused by you not Apple.

 

[kelvin805]

I hate to be a jackass and what not, and I like to be supportive of fellow forum members, but I've seen a friend drop a MBP straight on the corner that had less damage from that. Even if you ignore the bowing on the superdrive side, the DVI port was definitely dinged up from somthing, because you don't get that from pulling a DVI adapter in and out. The superdrive one looks like it might have just been from putting pressure on that area when the whole computer is closed man. I think I have to side with their decision not to repair it, sure it might not be related to the fan, but man, that's impressive how you got that on your dvi port. Good luck though with trying to get it repaired for free, hopefully some good comes of it

 

[HLdan]

Whoo. Sorry to hear you're experiencing this with AppleCare. Is there another Apple Store or other Apple dealer in your area? If so, go there and get it checked out again.

Like others have said, be patient, be polite but firm, and explain your situation nicely. Yell after you hang up.

good luck!

He can't just go to another Apple store. The Genius places notes in his account attached to the serial number of his Macbook so the entire company including the support reps over the phone can see what the genius wrote so in a sense the genius can C-Block the OP from from getting his Mac repair covered under warranty.

 

[dwsolberg]

If that's all the cosmetic problems you've got, you're getting a bum deal. Keep taking it to the next level until you get the service. Also, consider taking it back to the same store and asking a manager to reinstate your AppleCare. The DVI port looks bad, but it's not going to cause a fan to go bad. The only way you should have your AppleCare revoked is if they open it up and find damage from being dropped.

 

[Beau10]

DVI Port is dented Up. This does not happen by pulling a DVI Cable out daily.
This computer has been dropped. Damaged caused by you not Apple.

Yeah, I agree.

Scratch - nonissue.
Bowing over the superdrive - I can see how someone who puts alot of pressure here when they type can do it... a wear issue.

But the DVI port? That's a structurally solid part of the casing. That looks like it took one serious knock.


Also, let's keep the fan repair out of this. It has nothing to do with what's going on here, which is essentially

1) Apple is suspending their extended warranty due to what they determine is above normal wear and tear
2) They're giving the option to reinstate the warranty based on a measure of paid service to bring the machine back to a serviceable condition.

Because of #1, a marginal issue is not getting fixed. But hey, a warranty is a binary thing, it's either there or it isn't, despite how big or small unrelated issues that require fixing are.

 

[alphaod]

Did you speak to customer relations?

 

[mattcube64]

Wow... I can't believe anybody here thinks Apple is in the right to suspend his Applecare.

The DVI port itself looks just fine. And as far as I can tell from the OP's statements, it still works correctly, too.

So let me get this straight. This guy bought a TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR LAPTOP, and paid a couple hundred dollars more for an extended warranty. And Apple won't honor it because of a freaking DING a year and a half after purchase??!!

Scenario: A MBP owner takes good care of his laptop. He doesn't "baby" it, but he doesn't torture it, either. He puts it in a book bag every day. One day, while leaving class, he turns quickly and hits his backpack against a chair. When he arrives home, he realizes he caused a small ding near the DVI port. If Apple can't build a laptop that can withstand a small incident like that, they have problems.

And the funny thing is; the OP claims he didn't do anything to it. Which, honestly, I believe him.

To the OP; I hope you get everything sorted out. There's no reason they can't solve a fan issue cause there is a ding on the case.

 

[UltraNEO*]

I had a feeling my latest visit to the Genius Bar wouldn't go as great as I would hope.

I just took my 2.33Ghz 15" MBP in to have a faulty left fan and SuperDrive looked at. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I scheduled the appointment the Superdrive started to eject properly! When I got there, I intended to just have them start it up, see that the fan wasn't working and acknowledge that Yes, that is a manufacturer defect! However, I wasn't so lucky.

The "genius" behind the counter gave my machine a quick look-around and noted a very slight (less than 1mm) bowing on the top of the superdrive slot, and a very slight (think .5mm or smaller) bowing on the bottom of the DVI port. Now, both of these are very understandable considering my palms have been resting on this machine for the last 1 1/2 years, and I tend to use an additional DVI monitor quite a bit - there's alot of plugging and unplugging going on. That's where the term "normal wear and tear" would come into play, would it not?

Alas, my troubles didn't end there. He also noted that on the bottom of the palm rest that there was a very small (4mm) deep scratch. Okay, that's not too bad considering the laptop is a year and a half old. **** happens, ya know? So he went on for about 10-15 minutes, checked if a fan was in stock, essentially gave me no hints as to what was about to happen...

After being led to believe that my fan would be taken care of, he gave me the verdict... instead of acknowledging that the non-functioning fan is a manufacturer defect, he opted to suspend my AppleCare warranty until I paid $650 to have the top and bottom cases replaced.

At that point, I was absolutely shocked. Never in my years and years of dealing with tech support and warranties have I heard of something like this happening. Dell, HP and IBM, companies I have dealt with regularly, have never refused to fix their mistakes because I scratched a machine.

The Genius never did explain to me why a small bow on the top of the superdrive would affect a fan on the exact-opposite corner. I promptly asked for a printout of the repair quote and got out of there before I freaked out.

Now I'm sitting at home, on the phone with AppleCare. So far I've had the good fortune to speak with Lisa from tech support, who has been with me for the past 40 minutes. She's never heard of something like this happening, so we're going from department to department trying to get something worked out for me. If it weren't for her soothing voice, I'd probably be beating the crap out of an old Pentium II about now.

I acknowledge the fact that my use of the machine has caused the small cosmetic defects, and all I want Apple to do is acknowledge the fact that the fan in my machine is faulty and replace it under the warranty that I paid for. I'm not asking them to fix my mistakes (scratching the case), nor am I asking them for an entirely new notebook... some accountability is all I seek!

What are your thoughts about this? Feel free to chime in with your own war stories.

Personally, I'd ditch what those guys say.. and buy a replacement part from powerbookmedic.com then proceed to replacing the dead fan myself (assuming it is a dead fan). You can probably get the replacement case too and still have change!

 

[garybUK]

I'd book an appointment at the Apple Store 'Genius' and just sit there until he either :

a) refunds you the apple care useless toilet paper
b) repairs your laptop under the terms of the apple care.

Don't take no for an answer and just tell people who are purchasing computers how bad they are treating you and that dell come to your house to fix stuff

Apple have to be the worst for customer care, they are nothing but criminal. I have had LOTS of trouble with their 'geniuses'

 

[jsamuelson]

I think it's pretty unfair to make sweeping statements like Apple is the worst at customer care.

I have just received a MacBook Pro back from Apple (in Switzerland) with a replaced logic board, and the ding it has in the drive slot is hugely worse that the OP's dings.

Nobody batted an eyelid, it was repaired free under AppleCare and that was that. The repair issue was a faulty keyboard connector, something that conceivably could be damaged by a drop or hard knock, although I don't think it was in our case because the issue was there from new.

I think the OP is being treated unfairly here. The least Apple can do is open the case before rendering final judgement. If then they determine that the damaged fan was caused by a physical blow then at least they can say so with a certain degree of confidence.

To the OP: make a polite nuisance of yourself until you get what you want.

 

[MowingDevil]

I'd book an appointment at the Apple Store 'Genius' and just sit there until he either :

a) refunds you the apple care useless toilet paper
b) repairs your laptop under the terms of the apple care.

Don't take no for an answer and just tell people who are purchasing computers how bad they are treating you and that dell come to your house to fix stuff

Apple have to be the worst for customer care, they are nothing but criminal. I have had LOTS of trouble with their 'geniuses'

I've had the exact opposite experience. Apple has the BEST customer care I've ever experienced. Here's the thing, buying AppleCare for 200 bucks doesn't entitle the customer to have EVERYTHING fixed no matter what happens. Some people on here actually believe they're OWED replacements as soon as a new model comes on the market. I've read enough posters on here that think its ok to lie and pull fraud on Apple to get AppleCare fixed. One guy had his gf STAND on his computer causing damage and he thinks its ok to go to Apple and say "I don't know what happened, I just opened it up and it was all smashed, the screen must have spontaneously cracked." I'm not kidding; I don't blame Apple for being *somewhat* sceptical when they SEE physical damage and yes this is why they now have water damage indicators inside the machines. People lie.

 

[sushi]

Looks like you dropped it, if that is the case, they will not and should not be covering it

Agree.

DVI Port is dented Up. This does not happen by pulling a DVI Cable out daily.
This computer has been dropped. Damaged caused by you not Apple.

Dropped or somehow bent when carrying it.

Yeah, I agree.

Scratch - nonissue.
Bowing over the superdrive - I can see how someone who puts alot of pressure here when they type can do it... a wear issue.

But the DVI port? That's a structurally solid part of the casing. That looks like it took one serious knock.


Also, let's keep the fan repair out of this. It has nothing to do with what's going on here, which is essentially

1) Apple is suspending their extended warranty due to what they determine is above normal wear and tear
2) They're giving the option to reinstate the warranty based on a measure of paid service to bring the machine back to a serviceable condition.

Because of #1, a marginal issue is not getting fixed. But hey, a warranty is a binary thing, it's either there or it isn't, despite how big or small unrelated issues that require fixing are.

Agree.

The area around the DVI port indicates a drop or two, or compression when carrying the MBP.

Apple does not cover accidental damage.

I've had the exact opposite experience. Apple has the BEST customer care I've ever experienced. Here's the thing, buying AppleCare for 200 bucks doesn't entitle the customer to have EVERYTHING fixed no matter what happens.

Agree.

Apple actually repaired my PB15 out of warranty coverage for free because of an ongoing problem. They were reluctant, but when I explained to them that I needed the PB15 to run Classic and did not want a new MBP replacement, that cinched the deal. At the time, it appears that some where trying to get free upgrades. In my case, I just wanted my PB15 to work. They understood my perspective and that I was not trying to rip off Apple by trying to get a new MBP replacement.

In addition, I was, and always have been, very polite to the folks who were helping me out. That always helps.

Anyhow, in this particular case, it looks like the MBP has been dropped. A bent case can affect many things even though the visible damage may not look to be that much.

 

[Winni]

My advice: Since being nice and polite has failed, ask Apple if they'd like to discuss the terms of the Apple Care contract with your lawyer. Usually everybody understands -that- language.

A little anecdote from myself: In 2003, I had a Gericom X5 Force notebook, which basically is an outdoor notebook. It had a little crack on its case from a lot of outdoor usage and its CD-writer no longer worked, but the notebook was still within the standard warranty, so I sent it to Gericom to have the DVD/CDRW drive fixed. When it came back, Gericom had not only put a new drive in, but they had also replaced the notebook's cracked case. Free of charge. Without any comments and without even having asked for it. That's the kind of service that you get from Gericom -without- an enhanced support and warranty service contract. I'm also used to getting similar service from Dell Germany. Apple should be ashamed of themselves. They obviously don't deserve their good reputation.

 

[Luftwaffles]

I'm surprised at how many people think that the damage to my laptop is somehow excessive and totally unseen on a 1.5 year old machine. It's not like I'm sending it in with a busted hinge and the screen hanging on by a wire - there's a scratch on the case, a purely cosmetic bow on the top of the superdrive and a practically-microscopic distortion on the DVI port. Other than that, the machine is cosmetically pristine.

Consider the fact that this laptop is being used every single day, is being carried in a backpack (with an InCase sleeve, too), is opened and closed repeatedly, is set on a desk, the DVI port is connected and disconnected every day... Also, to everyone who's claiming that the laptop looks dropped, one look at the bottom of the case will prove that there are no bends, dents, scratches or dings that indicate a drop. The only thing that has happened is that the port has been connected and disconnected repeatedly.

For a machine that is supposed to be targeted at the professional/power-user markets, I find it entirely unacceptable that Apple refuses to accept it as wear and tear.

THAT SAID, I frankly don't even give a crap about the bowing and the little scratch. That's NOT what I'm wanting fixed. All I want is a working fan so I don't burn my hand trying to use my in-warranty laptop. Tomorrow (later today, rather) I will return to the store, contract in-hand and explain to them how they are breaching their contract, what they can do to make things right and what I will do if they refuse.

 

[jeff48]

The extended warranty covers one thing and one thing only--natural failures of Apple parts and labor. Therefore it should be agreed that, unless Apple claims the fan was damaged rather than failed, Apple should be fixing the fan under warranty but not repair or replace the case.

With all my computers, however, I always get repair/replace insurance from Safeware. Free quotes are available at www.safeware.com It ain't cheap, but the repair is covered even if the computer is damaged or stolen or liquid is spilled into the keyboard etc. Be aware that they do NOT cover cosmetic damage. They will not replace a dented product unless the dent impairs normal function of the computer. There is also no deductible. Another option is a rider to your home owner's or renter's insurance. There would be a deductible associated with that kind of insurance.

In the long run we all should have both an great extended warranty and Applecare. The OP's case would have been an easy fix if he had an extended warranty that included all damage.

 

[John Dillinger]

Your milage will vary

I've had the exact opposite experience. Apple has the BEST customer care I've ever experienced. Here's the thing, buying AppleCare for 200 bucks doesn't entitle the customer to have EVERYTHING fixed no matter what happens. Some people on here actually believe they're OWED replacements as soon as a new model comes on the market. I've read enough posters on here that think its ok to lie and pull fraud on Apple to get AppleCare fixed. One guy had his gf STAND on his computer causing damage and he thinks its ok to go to Apple and say "I don't know what happened, I just opened it up and it was all smashed, the screen must have spontaneously cracked." I'm not kidding; I don't blame Apple for being *somewhat* sceptical when they SEE physical damage and yes this is why they now have water damage indicators inside the machines. People lie.

Hes allowed to say that, as he says that based on his experience. I had one of the macbooks with the crummy flakey top case that lots of my friends have now- chipped case near the mousepad, some on the screen bezel.. It was two months out of warranty, the guy didnt really want to repair it, but did after I showed him some forum posts and pics of others with the same problem. He sort of denied it as 'rumors', but there were others next to me so I just started raidsing my voice a bit going "ITS A FLAW"- he came round in the end and was pretty friendly in the end, and did it anyways despite it being out of warranty. This was in UK.

Another problem I had is with the magsafe, the pins had sunken in , so could not charge my laptop. I take it to Regents street apple store in London, and get this french swanky **** scoff at it and go its a 'user error'. Lukcily his manager was around who said "its ok, fix it". This was under warranty. So its clear that Apple know of faults its just some repair men are choosing not to repair and just being d!cks basically- its not their money anyways. But maybe they get bon(ers?)us for issuing the least amount of service repairs or so.

On the flipside, my gf had prblems with her ibook charger-thats given lots grief and been changed 3/4 times, and we just got it swapped out at this apple store in the US- no questions asked! He didnt even ask for a serial! Basically I think they dont train them the same in UK and abroad, so its not crazy to me that a UK customer thinks that applecare is criminal. And if you have say, 5 troubles with the same £1399 laptop youre perception is going to be pretty skewed.

 

[John Dillinger]

Please guys

People shouldnt be just assuming that he did ANYTHING to his laptop. And if the guy frickin paid a warranty, he should get barely any questions asked for this stuff. Some are so funny, maybe just Apple online PR?

I love my Macbook but especially the previous gen MB/MBP had lots of flaws, and its definitely not beyond the realm of possibility that Apple made a laptop thats good to look at but crumbles under the slightest load. Exactly how many stories do you hear of this kind of thing? Thousands. Staining after 2 months etc etc. Other laptops do not flake, bend and crumble away as much... Its because Macbooks are so thin and light, with minimal screws and supports for aesthetics and weight, therefore users have to deal with it.

P.S He doesnt want a new one, he wants his fan fixed??? To maybe refuse repair but to suspend his warranty?????????? For a slight bowing on the case?? WTF

 

[the advisor]

Be tough.

I have had similar experiences with apple, as they will try to short change you if they have the ability. This is reasonable, as it is expensive to warranty products from a company perspective. However, if you are going to charge double the market standard, push your excellent warranties, and have customer service being a visible integral component of your product - then you damn well better be willing to warranty anything shy of a intentional crushing with a 1 ton.

I love the company and the products, but I cannot stand half of the pompous little super-nerds. The first guy you talk to really makes a difference, as he/she generates the original analysis report that everyone else you speak to has access to. If that genius wet his diaper that morning, your warranty doesn't mean anything. I am not trying to offend anyone here, but if you have every caught a genius on a bad day you will know what I mean. This is not to discredit anyone, many of them are VERY good, knowledgeable, and fair... do not take this the wrong way.

As for your issue, I think that the 'damage' you have is normal considering you actually use your computer and its age. I would see if perhaps you can find a re-evaluation somewhere, like in a different store or whatnot. I know that the new reviewer will see the prior report, but be honest. Tell them you dont feel that you were treated fairly and whatnot... they should be reasonable with you. If not, just fix the fan yourself - and write sjobs a heartfelt email, disclosing the name of the original tech of course.

 

[sushi]

a practically-microscopic distortion on the DVI port.

Disagree.

That dimple by the DVI port took some energy to make and it is in rather than out. It would be out if the damage was from connecting and disconnecting the DVI connector.

Anyhow, that "distortion" as you call it, is merely an indicator of damage to the case by either a drop, hard set down, or possibly a binding within a back back or other soft case due to pressure on that area.

 

[Luftwaffles]

I bring news from the front lines.

I just got off the phone with the Executive Relations team. The person I spoke with reassured me that my warranty was not actually suspended. He clarified that I still have full technical support, but any hardware problems cannot be fixed until they *assess* the internals of the machine. This differs from what the Apple Store told me, which made it sound like they wouldn't even look at it until I fixed the cosmetic issues.

He was a bit more sympathetic and assured me that the repair depot would take my machine in for a complete (and free) in-and-out diagnosis, and if there was no link between cosmetic damage and the internals, the fan would be covered under warranty.

But, on the off-chance that the fan was somehow damaged by some Divine Act Of God or otherwise rendered useless by accidental damage, I would still need to pay to repair it, but he said a lower quote would be an option and Apple might even cover part of the repair.

He set up an appointment for me to go into the Apple Store immediately and have them send it off immediately, no questions asked. As soon as the repair depot gets it, my Executive Relations rep will personally take over the case and talk directly to the repair depot to ask them the questions I asked him.

Getting a fair diagnosis is all I can really ask for, and now that somebody with a clue will look at it, it seems the outcome may finally be in my favor.